The present invention relates to a remote control system for controlling in an interactive manner a remotely controlled unit such as used in multimedia systems and the like. Multimedia systems are systems in which operating instructions concerning information for digitized text, audio, moving pictures, etc., which can be displayed on a screen of a direct-view CRT display device, a projector screen, etc., are issued interactively by means of icons, or instruction dialog boxes in the form of pictorial symbol also displayed on the screen. The multimedia systems are also used for control over the screen of the display device in a control tower or the like.
FIG. 73 is a perspective view showing a conventional remote control system, FIG. 74 is a block diagram of a controlled unit 121 in the conventional remote control system, and FIG. 75 is a diagram showing an example of a display on the screen of the remote control system. As shown in FIG. 73 and FIG. 74, the remote control system comprises a display device 1001 of a multimedia system, and a mouse 103 connected to the display device 1001. Specifically, the display device 1001 is provided with a mouse connection terminal 22, and the mouse 103 is provided with a connector 29 which is connected via a cable 28 to the mouse 103, and which can be inserted into the mouse connection terminal 22. In use, the mouse 103 is placed on a pad or table 104 and its ball is rolled over the pad 104.
The display device 1001 is also provided with a control processor 324, and a tuner 23 for terrestrial and satellite broadcasting. The display unit 1001 is connected to an LD (laser disk) player, a VTR (video tape recorder) 31, an antenna 30 for terrestrial and satellite broadcasting. A cursor (position selection mark) 108, in the form of an arrow, is displayed on the screen of the display device 100.
In FIG. 75, reference numeral 105 designates the opening menu screen; 353 designates a selective menu screen; 222 designates icons on the menu screens 105 and 353; and 322 designates the dialog box used to close selective menu 353.
Next, the operation of the multimedia TV will be described. When a power supply to the display device 100 is turned ON, the opening menu 105 is displayed. The cursor 108 is moved by moving the mouse 103 back and forth, and right and left. The cursor may be moved to the icon 222, for example, in the opening menu 105. If, in this state, a selection switch 309 is pressed, the icon 222 is selected, and the next selective menu 353 is displayed superimposed over the opening menu 105. If the cursor 108 is again moved to an icon 222, and the selection switch 309 is pressed, the operation represented by the selected icon 222 is executed by the control processor 324. If the control part 322 on the upper left corner is selected, the selective menu 353 is closed, and the display of the opening menu is resumed. In this way, control over the tuner 23 for the terrestrial and satellite broadcasting, the LD player 32 and the VTR 31 is performed.
FIG. 76 shows the structure of a mouse 103. The mouse 103 has a selection switch (in the form of a push-bottom switch) 309, a spherical ball 362, rollers 363 and 363a that are in contact with ball 362, rotary encoders 364 and 363a that are coaxial and connected with the rollers 363 and 363a, brushes 365 and 365a that are in contact with the rotary encoders 364 and 364a, and a printed circuit board 368 connected to the brushes 365 and 365a via a connection members 366 and 366a. The mouse 103 is further provided with a code conversion circuit 319 on the printed circuit board 368 for converting the sequences of pulses (pulse trains) from the rotary encoders 364 and 364a, the output signals of the selection switch 309 and a cancel switch 367 into codes of a format suitable for input to the control processor 324 for movement of the cursor and selection of the icon.
FIG. 77A and FIG. 77B show how the sequences of pulses are produced by rotation of the rotary encoder 364. Specifically, FIG. 77A shows how the rotary encoder 364 is contacted with the brushes 365-1, 365-2 and 365-3, and FIG. 77B shows the sequences of pulses produced when the mouse 103 is moved.
The following is a description of the sequence of pulses produced by the rotary encoder 364 of the mouse 103. As can be seen from FIG. 76, when the mouse 103 is moved, the ball 362 rotates so that the rollers 363 and 363a in contact with the ball 362 rotate, and hence the rotary encoders 364 and 364a, which are coaxial and connected with the rollers 363 and 363a also rotate. As can be seen from FIG. 77A, the brushes 365-1 and 365-2 alternately make and break contact with the conductor pattern of the rotary encoder 364 as it rotates, so that a sequence of pulses are produced from the brushes 365-1 and 365-2. As shown in FIG. 77B, no pulses are produced when the rotary encoder 364 is stationary, but as the speed of rotation increases, the frequency of the pulses rises. When the direction of movement of the mouse 103 is reversed, the relative phase of the pulses from the brushes 365-1 and 365-2 is reversed. Accordingly, it is possible to detect the direction of the movement of the mouse 103 by detecting the phase of the sequences of pulses.
The following is a description of the operation of the multimedia system. When the power supply for the controlled unit 21 is turned on, an opening menu screen 105 is displayed. Then the mouse 108 is moved toward the front, back, left or right on the pad 104 until the cursor 108 is positioned over the desired icon 222. If, in this state, the selection switch 309 is pressed, the icon 222 (over which the cursor 108 is superimposed) is selected, and a selective menu screen 353 corresponding to the selected icon 222 is displayed superimposed over the opening menu screen 105 (on the front side of the opening menu 105, and hence hiding most of the initial layout menu 105). By again moving the mouse 103 so that the cursor 108 is positioned over the desired icon 222 and pressing the selection switch 309, the icon 222 is selected and another selective menu is displayed, or some other operation (operation other than the display of the selective menu) is executed. Such operation is executed by the control processor. In this way, the terrestrial and satellite broadcast tuner 23, the VTR 31, the LD player 32, etc., are controlled.
Because the prior art remote control system is configured as described above, a table or a pad on which the mouse is moved is required.
It is also necessary for the operator to watch his hand holding the mouse as well as the screen.